Free The Knight and The Healer: A Medieval Romance by Lorna Benson Page B

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Chapter 21
    Celia was in the sewing room with three other ladies-in-waiting mending some of the many garments that routinely required repair. The group met every Wednesday to work on the garments and exchange gossip.
    The door opened and two castle guards entered. "Lady Celia, please come with us."
    "And why would I do that?" Celia said in a perturbed voice, "Can't you see I am busy here?"
    "I'm afraid you are wanted elsewhere. Your attendance is mandatory", the taller of the guards replied.
    Celia turned to the other ladies and said, "Apparently, my services are needed so if you'll excuse me, I'll see you later."
    With that, the taller guard grabbed her arm and began pulling her toward the door and the other guard. "Ouch, you're hurting me. Let go of me! I'm going. I'm going."
    As they approached, the second guard grabbed her remaining arm and joined the march to the door. They stopped in the hallway and pushed her up against a wall. The taller guard removed handcuffs from his pack. He turned to Celia and said "All prisoners are transported in irons and you are no exception. I didn't put them on you in front of your friends out of deference to your position, but you are just a common prisoner now."
    "But, why? What do you think I have done?"
    "Suffice to say, Lady Beth is alive and well. That's all you need to know."
    With that, the trio began the long trip to the dungeon. The dungeon was located deep in the bowels of the castle. Celia had never seen it.
    It was dark in the dungeon, lit only by a few flickering torches mounted on the walls. There were three iron cells all of which were currently empty. The guards opened the barred door to the first cell on the left.
    "You'll be fed twice a day and your slop bucket will be emptied once a week."
    "My god, once a week, will I be here that long?"
    "I'm sure I don't know the answer to that, but if was a betting man, I'd bet you'll be here a long while. It takes time to prepare for a trial."
    He removed the irons, pushed her into the cell and locked the door. She began to sob and literally beating her breast.
    After the guards had long gone and Celia was out of tears, she looked around her new quarters.
    The cell was quite small, perhaps 12-foot square. In a corner was an empty slop bucket. Lying on the floor at the opposite corner was a dirty blanket which passed as bedding. Along the north side, she was sitting on a roughly constructed bench four feet long and less than a foot wide. There were no windows. The sole source of light came from the torches in the hallway which dimly shone through the cell's barred door. The cell smelled of something rotten.
    After several hours had passed, two matrons came to the cell door. "You'll need to undress, my lady. Hand your garments to me and we will safeguard them for you. You'll get them back for your trial."
    "That's outrageous. I will not do such a thing. Please leave me my dignity."
    "You have no choice, I'm afraid. There are two of us, one of you, and we will strip you by force if that is required. Nonetheless, we are not leaving without your clothes.
    * * *
    That night, as she lay naked shivering under the filthy blanket left in the cell, she remembered the luxury of her quarters in the castle. She had shared comfortable quarters for the first fourteen years at the castle with the other female children. On her fifteenth birthday, she was transferred to her own room. She was given a wardrobe of fine garments, tailored to fit. Her assignments were all befitting a lady.
    The following afternoon, one of the matrons appeared at the cell door. "Here, put this on. You have a visitor." She handed Celia a loose shift.
    A few minutes later, a tall man elegantly attired entered the cell. He was wearing an elaborate tunic. Over the tunic, he had a black hooded garment that nearly reached the floor. His overall appearance was very forbidding. He was a mature man whose years shown on his face. His eyes were an icy blue. He was armed with a